1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric motor preferably used in a motor-driven power steering apparatus or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A motor-driven power steering apparatus for a vehicle is structured, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H9-84300 (patent document 1), such that an assist shaft of a steering apparatus is connected to a rotation shaft of an electric motor, and a rotation force of the electric motor is transmitted to the steering apparatus, thereby assisting steering force applied to a steering shaft by a driver.
A conventional electric motor is structured, as described in Japanese Patent No. 3207177 (patent document 2) such that a pigtail firmly fixed to a brush is connected to a conductor insert molded integrally with a brush holder base at one end thereof. Electric power is fed from a connector which is connected to a lead wire extending to an outer portion from another end of the conductor and is held by an outer terminal.
In the conventional electric motor, a structure in which a terminal insertion hole, to which a terminal connected to the brush is inserted, is provided in a feed connector integrally formed with the brush holder so as to reduce the number of connecting portions between the outer terminals. A rising wall is formed in a rear side of the terminal insertion hole in the brush holder so as to prevent the terminal inserted to the terminal insertion hole from coming off, whereby the terminal elastically deforms with respect to an upper surface of the rising wall so as to get over the rising wall. The terminal is inserted to the terminal insertion hole, and a base end portion of the terminal is abutted against the rising wall so as to be prevented from coming off.
However, elastic deforming performance of the terminal is changed in accordance with a thickness and a width of the terminal which are determined in accordance by connection with the opposing connector. For example, in the case where the terminal has a large thickness and is difficult to be elastically deformed, an assembling property of the terminal is deteriorated.